Anyone Here Use a Straight Razor

So I just got my hands on a fully re-conditioned vintage 1950's straight razor, 5/8", Ivory handles, beveled edge, honed and stropped, shave ready. I am a little apprehensive about taking this thing to my face, and decided that I should really strop it myself just to be sure before I put it to my face. So I ordered a strop off of the internet and it should be here before the end of the week.

Does anyone here use a straight razor? Any advice for someone who has never used one before? I have been doing a lot of reading on the internet and watching youtube videos about how to properly use a straight razor, so I think I should have it down, but if anyone has first had advice to give me, please offer it up.

The straight razor thing is a continuation of me getting a badger brush to make shaving cream thing I started a few months ago. If I keep going, down this road shaving is going to take me 30 minutes instead of 5.

the only place that i have ever had a strait razor is at a barbor shop

In the UK they are called cut throat razors. I think there may be a reason for that.

Donasay said:

So Any advice for someone who has never used one before?

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Make sure SWMBO is there to call 911 for you!

I feel your passion here. I have been taking great strides in my life to step back and do things the old way a little bit. There is no reason not to keep that tradition alive...if you don't kill yourself trying.

I've been interested in this for a while. still haven't got one yet because of the cost though. there are a lot of good resources on the internet for how-to guides. Definately not something I would want to do everyday, but it's supposed to be pretty awesome. You said you already got the strop, did you also get the brush and soap? They sell cheap shaving soap at walmart.

Edit: here's a good starter link= www.en.nassrasur.com/razorcentral/index.html

I've done it a couple of times. It does take time. You definitely need to be up on your sharpening skills. It makes all of the difference in the world. You will probably get a few nicks. However I'd have to say, they've been about the nicests shaves I've ever had. Smoooooth. I'm not totally convinced though that it was the razor. The recomended technique first calls for a soak of the face with a Hot wet towel - as hot as you can stand. Let it sit for at least a minute. I'm suspicious that this is really the key and that if one did this and used their regular razor it would make a big difference.

I was pretty dissapoined with the shaving soaps as most of the ones I tried didn't foam very well.

I'll have to do it again one of these days - when I have the time.

Well I don't have the strop yet, the guy who sold me the razor said it was shave ready, honed and stropped, but I figured it would be best for me to get a strop and give it a couple of runs myself before using it.

I do already have the badger brush and the soap, there is a place called "The art of Shaving" and they sell some fairly good dye and fragrance free shaving soap. It works well when I use it with my mach 3, but it is not leaps and bounds above the gel or foam. The benefit is that supposedly the shaving cream you make is warmer than the cream or foam from a can, helping to keep the poors open. The one neat thing about it is that you can make the foam as thick or thin as you would like by adding more water to the brush.

I have read a lot of the online resources and theoretically have it down, but I am still a little apprehensive as the only way I will really learn is by doing it, and well one wrong move and you get a nice scar to remind you how not to do it...

Anyway I'll keep you updated as to the progress once I get the strop.

And the barbershop straight razor shave is amazing, I get a shave every time I get a haircut and well I do have to say, it is the closest shave pretty much every time I get one. A 5 blade razor has nothing on a 70 year old man adeptly wielding a straight razor.

I've never used a straight razor, but I would imagine that my shaving rule of thumb (learnt it from Miller's Crossing, that Coen bros flick, actually) is to fill the sink with cold water, like, ice water if you can. Soak your face in hot water, of course, but make sure the razor is ice cold every time you bring it to your face. The reasoning here is that metal contracts and expands with temp fluctuations, so the colder the blade is, the sharper the edge will be. I find that even with modern razors it makes a difference, and since Miller's Crossing was set in a time before modern razors, I'd imagine it matters even more for straight razors.

FYI.

Jeeze, I saw a guy slashing another guy to death with a straight razor at a party once. Then I went and ripped off a 3' section of a brick wall and was going to slam it over his head. Then reality hit me and I put it down.

I think straight razors are pretty wild but that kinda makes me nervous to shave with one. They are so sharp you can hear it. . Can you still buy them? I wanted one for dispatching fowl.

zoebisch01 said:

Jeeze, I saw a guy slashing another guy to death with a straight razor at a party once.

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WTF?! Remind me never to go to a party with you... no offense!

I have found that hair conditioner is by far the best shave medium. Get it very hot and just let it soak for a minute, soft as can be.

I think straight razors are awesome. Keep us updated.

I've never used one, and I probably never will. The last thing I need is for shaving to take more time/patience/skill.

zoebisch01 said:

I think straight razors are pretty wild but that kinda makes me nervous to shave with one. They are so sharp you can hear it. . Can you still buy them? I wanted one for dispatching fowl.

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They still make them, but the new ones are not of the same quality as the older vintage or re-conditioned ones. The new ones are mostly made of stainless steel instead of carbon steel or folded damascus steel, and most made today are not hollow ground so they don't hold an edge as well. Many of the American and Chinese ones especially are cheap and pretty much useless for shaving so not good for anything unless you are a crazy guy who likes to slash people up at parties.

The best thing to do is buy a good vintage one, or if you buy new ones today get the German or English ones Dovo or Solingen, and these run about $100 new. You can get a classic re-conditioned one off of ebay for like $10, so not a huge investment considering the blade will literally last your entire life time.

Imagine never having to buy another razor blade again, what do you probably spend on disposable blades? The gilette blades cost about $2 a piece and you probably use at least one a week for the rest of your life, that is a savings of $100 a year, plus it is good for the environment, and well if you consider the cuts and extra time, it is ok for you.

Brewing Clamper said:

WTF?! Remind me never to go to a party with you... no offense!

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Wow, that's no joke. What did the guy do to deserve such a fate...double-dip a chip?

BlindLemonLars said:

Wow, that's no joke. What did the guy do to deserve such a fate...double-dip a chip?

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It was really weird. This cocky red haired guy (nothing to do with him having red hair, it's just part of the story) came into the party. He was hanging out outside. A little while later this guy comes in, I'll never forget how his eyes looked. I swear you could see that he intended to do evil. So anyways, a little while later we are standing by the sliding glass door inside when *Whump* this guy gets smashed into the door. These two start into it (I have no idea what transpired to cause the fight) and the guy with the weird eyes pulls out the straight razor and just starts slashing. And then he was like on top of the guy (that was the point where I kind of freaked and grabbed the nearest thing I could find, which was a brick wall, which I somehow tore off , which thankfully my brother pulled me away after I came to my senses), the guy was just putting up his arms because he couldn't do much else. Finally a few guys ran and grabbed the lunatic and wrestled him to the ground. The scene stuck with me because it was so intense. I've seen some nasty stuff but this was pretty brutal, and was apparently for no real reason other than the tuff guy syndrome.

Donasay said:

Imagine never having to buy another razor blade again, what do you probably spend on disposable blades? The gilette blades cost about $2 a piece and you probably use at least one a week for the rest of your life, that is a savings of $100 a year, plus it is good for the environment, and well if you consider the cuts and extra time, it is ok for you.

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Hmm, well that would solve my current problem where the lady folk of the house steal my razors

I've always been fascinated by shaving with a straight razor- time to do some research.

I absolutely love getting a straight razor shave at my barber- although it's mostly cleanup work as I have a beard!

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this thread was a good old 3 Stooges short. I can't for the life of me remember which one it was.

I have one, but I never shave with it anymore. The novelty wears off pretty quickly.

zoebisch01 said:

It was really weird. This cocky red haired guy (nothing to do with him having red hair, it's just part of the story) came into the party. He was hanging out outside. A little while later this guy comes in, I'll never forget how his eyes looked. I swear you could see that he intended to do evil. So anyways, a little while later we are standing by the sliding glass door inside when *Whump* this guy gets smashed into the door. These two start into it (I have no idea what transpired to cause the fight) and the guy with the weird eyes pulls out the straight razor and just starts slashing. And then he was like on top of the guy (that was the point where I kind of freaked and grabbed the nearest thing I could find, which was a brick wall, which I somehow tore off , which thankfully my brother pulled me away after I came to my senses), the guy was just putting up his arms because he couldn't do much else. Finally a few guys ran and grabbed the lunatic and wrestled him to the ground. The scene stuck with me because it was so intense. I've seen some nasty stuff but this was pretty brutal, and was apparently for no real reason other than the tuff guy syndrome.

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did the guy survive?

I have a modern Dovo and strop... though I don't tend to use it that often. The last time I did was for my wedding. My advice is until you get used to it, practice with it AFTER you've already shaved your face. If you don't have your technique down, you'll most likely snag on your stubble and give yourself a nick.


As was mentioned, preparation is the key. Definitely do the hot towel soak on your face, and keep a cold razor. If you're going to strop, make sure you get your "razor flop" technique down and use strop compound. If you try to get all fancy and look like a pro with the strop off the get go, you'll most likely cut the crap out of the leather.

For daily shaving I use an old fashioned Gillette Adjustable Safety Razor.

Great shave, and the blades last a long time.

As well, I use a badger brush and shaving soap. The key to getting a good lather with the shaving soap is to put some hot water on the soap and let it sit for a bit to soften, then use a moist (not dripping wet) brush and work in circles to build up lather. When you apply the lather with the brush to your face, try and use the bristles to get the soap under the stubble.

I knew a guy in the 70's who was training to be a barber. In those days at least, you had to be able to shave the foam off a balloon with one of those things before you could even pass any other part of the exam.

Well maybe I'll try and practice on one of those first, if it pops and sends the razor flying across the room I'll let you know.

zoebisch01 said:

Can you still buy them? I wanted one for dispatching fowl.

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I've got a second one somewhere. If you want it (and I can find it), it's yours

I have a couple of straights, I tend to use a Gillette slim adjustable for daily shaves since it's a lot faster and seems to do just as well for me.

You should really look into getting a DE as well. I think last time I ordered blades I paid about $30 for 100 pack and those were Feathers and they tend to be more expensive than Derby or the other brands.

Only when I'm in North Las Vegas.

I use the Mach III and shave about every other day. I have mostly beard, so I only trim with it, but even when I have Goatee, I don't use shaving creams. Just rinse my face in hot water, and start shaving.

Using the shaving lotions takes too much time.

You guys have definitely piqued my interest. I spent a lot of time last night reading through Badger & Blade and I think I want to give proper wet shaving a go. I definitely have a lot of the problems that are mentioned all the time (razor burn and ingrown hairs being the biggies) with multi-blade disposables and it sounds like this is a great way to solve it. I don't think I'm up to using a straight razor right away but I'm thinking a safety razor would be a great start - especially since it doesn't require those extra goodies like a hone and a strop.

I dropped into my local big pharmacy and they had some shaving soaps so I picked one up but they had no brushes (which seemed odd). May have to hit the interwebs but this should be interesting and fun. The prospect of saving money while helping the environment is appealing too.

bradsul said:

The prospect of saving money while helping the environment is appealing too.

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You know, it really is the little things that add up both economically and environmentally. I am starting to thing about one of those safety razors. I mean heck worse case scenario you're out a few bucks. Look at the cost of those disposable cartridge razors.

This looks like a decent store if you want a new safety razor:

eBay Store - Shaving Factory: All Products, Shaving Creams Foams, Razor Blades

A little more and found this:

http://www.classicshaving.com/page/page/522941.htm

And this was a very enlightening read, although it pretty much confirmed what I thought about the market anyway.

I've used a straight razor for the past several years. Up until then I used a Gillette Fat Boy, and I still sometimes do if I'm really pressed for time. I like the ritual of stropping and shaving with a straight razor and a mug and brush with high quality shaving cream. It takes a fair amount of practice to get a good shave, but once you get the hang of it, it's the best shave you can get. I look forward to it as part of my daily centering routine. I make time for it, but honestly it doesn't take that much more time than using a double-edge razor.

I have Dovo and Thiers Issard razors of recent manufacture that I mostly use. I have some vintage blades with Solingen steel and Sheffield steel, including one seven day set. I covet a Heribert Wacker and a Mastro Livi, but haven't set aside funds for one yet.

A forum related to straight razors is Straight Razor Place.

Good place to get shaving supplies for straight or double-edge shaving and brushes and exotic shaving soaps is Classic Shaving. That my favorite e-store, by the way.

Now you guys have done it. Seriously though, I am really thinking about a double edge safety razor. The fully disposables are trash, you might as well try to shave with sandpaper. The cartridge style razors are convenient, but only really ever give an OK shave and the cartridges are ridiculously expensive (apparently from several sources they seem to be one of the most commonly shoplifted items). 100 blades for probably somewhere between $20 and $30, the razor ~$25 (less expensive). It will easily pay for itself in a few years.

The cartridge style razors are convenient, but only really ever give an OK shave and the cartridges are ridiculously expensive (apparently from several sources they seem to be one of the most commonly shoplifted items).

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I cringe when I see the prices on those things. And they are the suck if you need to shave any measureable amount of facial hair- clog like a mofo.

I'm looking through the online sites now, trying to find a nice little starter kit. Wouldn't mind finding one that comes with the safety razor and maybe some blades and a badger brush, one of those stands would be nice too.

I have both a modern Merkur, and an old Gillette, safety razors and I really prefer the old Gillette. The Merkur I have kept in the back of my shaving kit for a while, but I really need to just toss it. the chrome started peeling off the face of it before it was even 6 months old and scratched the hell out of my face.

The Target store near me used to carry Proraso Italian shaving items, including a decent enough boar's hair brush and a pretty good quality soap for a great price, but last time I was in there I didn't see them anymore.

What is a good price for an entry level straight razor?

MikeFlynn74 said:

What is a good price for an entry level straight razor?

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$20-30 seems to be the minimum price point that I've been able to find. That's certainly about the max I want to spend to start. That is buying on eBay so quality is questionable of course. There are some for much less than that but they don't give details about it so I bypassed them.

MikeFlynn74 said:

What is a good price for an entry level straight razor?

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This is the first one I bought, and I think it is an excellent razor.

DOVO "Black Star" Pakkawood 5/8

It's a 5/8th hollow ground with a round point, and is probably the easiest to learn to use. Later you might want a 6/8 or 7/8 with a different point. My next razor will be a 6/8 with a spike point, but I don't recommend that to learn with.

You are going to need a strop, a mug and brush, and some soap. The latter three are easy to find anywhere. You can find all of them on the Classic Shaving site too.

Stick with a new Dovo or Theirs Issard for your first razor and avoid the very inexpensive ebay razors. Some of those sold on ebay are poorly made and will not sharpen well. Of course, there are also some very high quality vintage razors sold on ebay. They usually need a good cleaning and sharpening. It's best to study up on the before buying just any razor.

Even though straight razors are factory sharpened, most aren't shave-ready sharp. You need to sharpen your razor before you use it. You can have it sent to someone who knows how to do this properly, then you'll be able to keep it sharp for a long time with just the strop. I recommend this approach for your first straight razor. You can find someone on The Straight Razor Place forum. But eventually you are going to want to buy a couple of sharpening stones of the right sort for razors and learn the technique yourself.

Buy this DVD. It'll teach you how to shave properly, how to strop, and how to sharpen a razor. It's well worth $20, and will greatly speed your learning process.


Lynn Abrams "World of Straight Razor Shaving"

There is a short early version of the above on YouTube. It only covers shaving and doesn't deal with sharpening or some of the other material on the DVD.

bradsul said:

$20-30 seems to be the minimum price point that I've been able to find. That's certainly about the max I want to spend to start. That is buying on eBay so quality is questionable of course. There are some for much less than that but they don't give details about it so I bypassed them.

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Yes, quality of those is questionable. In most cases though it is guaranteed bad. See my previous post for a solid recommendation. It's a bit more money, but you'll have a quality razor that will shave better and be easier to sharpen.

I haven't had time to get a safety razor yet, but I decided to try a wet shave this morning as I was able to get an inexpensive brush, some Proraso shaving soap and a non-alcohol based aftershave.

WOW.

I'm a total convert even after just having used my regular crappy razor. The best thing is it only took about 5 minutes longer than my usual morning routine. And I imagine that it will even out a bit more as I get quicker at making the lather - for which I think I need to find a better mug, the one I used was awkward. I've also read that the badger brushes make the lather much faster so I still plan to get a better brush.